Milton golfer's wait pays off in state tourney berth

Milton's Zach Fry watches his drive on the 7th hole of the WiAA Sectional Golf Tourney at Evergreen Golf Course in Elkhorn on Tuesday. Fry shot an 80 to advance to state

Bill Olmsted

Craig's Mike Tabbert blasts out of the sand on the third hole of the WIAA sectional tourney at Evergreen Golf Course in Elkhorn on Tuesday. Tabbert had the lowest score of any Janesville golfer with an 83, but no one from the city will play in the state tournament.

ELKHORN  Zach Fry was forced to play the waiting game Tuesday afternoon.

Playing in the first foursome at the WIAA Division 1 sectional at Evergreen Golf Course, the Milton High junior posted an 80 and was the early clubhouse leader.

Two hours later, Fry’s wait turned out to be well worth it.

Fry’s 80 was good enough for third-place overall, including first among individual qualifiers, as he earned a trip to the WIAA state tournament at University Ridge on Monday and Tuesday.

Lake Geneva Badger, behind a pair of 78s from brothers Alex and Austin Gaugert, won the team title with a 334 total. Beloit Memorial was second at 337 and also advanced.

Elkhorn finished a disappointing third (344) on its home course, while Janesville Craig tied Sun Prairie for fourth at 347.

Fry joined Sun Prairie’s Andrew Cobb and Oconomowoc’s Taylor Johnson as an extra qualifier, but not without a few anxious moments.

“It was pretty intense,” Fry said of the two hours he spent pacing back and forth while scores were posted. “I had to wait for almost 2 1/2 hours before I knew I had made it.

“The funny part is that this course doesn’t really set up for my game. I long to bomb it, and that can get you in trouble on this course.”

Fry, who has been working on his game with former University of Wisconsin golfer Kirk Wieland, shot 39 on the front and 41 on the back. He three-putted No. 18 for a 7, but the hiccup did not hurt him in the end.

“My stroke coach (Wieland) came up with a game plan for today, and I stuck with it. It was just a matter of executing each and every shot to the best of my ability.”

Tricky pin placements made life tough for many of the golfers, including Craig’s No. 1 player, Charlie Roherty. The senior, who was medalist at the regional meet and a former sectional champion, said many pin placements bordered on being unfair.

“There were a couple of holes where if you had a downhill putt, you had no chance of stopping it,” Roherty said. “I actually didn’t play that bad (86), but when you can’t get a ball to stop rolling on the green, it makes it tough to putt.”

Craig’s team made the turn in excellent shape, but struggled on the back nine. All five of the Cougars had higher scores on the back than on the front. Senior Mike Tabbert led the Cougars with an 83.

“We were looking good after nine holes,” Craig coach Mike Wesling said of the possibility of qualifying for state. “But things didn’t go our way on the back nine. There were some awfully tough pin placements.

“It was still a good year, and I’m really proud of the contributions the seniors gave to the program,” Wesling said of Roherty, Tabbert and Mike Hainstock.

Elkhorn, the Southern Lakes Conference champion, was led by junior Jordan Lockhart’s 82.

Madison La Follette’s Andrew Steinhofer, the Big Eight Conference tournament medalist, and course record-holder at University Ridge with a 66, shot 84 and failed to qualify for state.

Steinhofer’s teammate and Northern Illinois recruit, Max Hosking, did not play after he was ruled ineligible after attending a December party where alcohol was served.